For the seventh season in a row, Bounce and Outside the Huddle are counting down who they feel are the top 50 individual players in northeast Indiana heading into the 2025-2026 season.
Want to know how we come up with our rankings? Click here.
Today, we head into the Annual First Five and the top preseason honor given out for basketball by Outside the Huddle.
No. 1 – MACK WELKER, HOMESTEAD
Welker has developed into a well-rounded two-way contributor. Standing around 6′5″, he is listed as a small forward but also shows the versatility to play power forward when needed. This past season he averaged 16.4 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game, demonstrating his scoring ability as well as his willingness and effectiveness on the boards. Combining that production with his reputation as a reliable shooter and a student of the game, Welker has more than emerged on every scene with his state and national recognition skyrocketing this past summer with Indy Heat capturing the Peach Jam title at 16u. And while summer plays little role in OTH’s Top 50 rankings, it is hard to ignore the impact that Welker showed when not with the Spartans this past summer in big moments and with big shots. Welker continues to grow physically and has used length and strength to continue to move his game forward.
Coach’s Quote on Mack
“Big time player with a lot of upsides to his ceiling potential. Can play multiple positions with the way he can stretch the defense with his shooting ability.” – Homestead coach Chris Johnson
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